Last week I was exercising and watching the new show on ABC The Chew. It’s a talk show with Clinton Kelly, Carla Hall, Daphne Oz, Mario Batali and Michael Symon.  While working out, we’ll talk about what kind of working out I was doing some other time, Carla Hall was making a recipe of Mac and Cheese with Sam Champion from Good Morning America. It was topped with bacon and had caramelized onions.  Carla’s recipe uses a roux, which is common for Mac and Cheese.  I always hesitate using a roux, I’m not sure actually why, I think it’s because I’m always afraid that I won’t cook the flour flavor out.  I hate when things have that pasty flour taste.

A few years ago I was working on a party for 300, I had made a spinach and artichoke dip, but there was tons of it left over.  The next day I looked at this vat of dip and wondered what the heck I was going to do with it.  I put it in a pot and warmed it up, added a little bit of heavy cream or half and half, I can’t remember which and realized I had a mixture for mac and cheese.  I boiled some macaroni.  Out of that came my recipe of mac and cheese.  I’ve never used flour again, just cream cheese, which is the base for the spinach dip.

After working out I had a twitter conversation with Carla about her mac and cheese, I honestly didn’t think she’d respond!

Is it wrong to be watching @carlahall while making mac and cheese?  It looked so good!

@afoodieslife Nope!  Not one BIT! Lol

@carlahall when I make my mac and cheese I use cream cheese and no roux.  Comes out great!

@afoodieslife great for gluten sensitivities. Awesome!

I had never really thought about it before but it was a gluten free recipe if I made it with gluten free macaroni.  I thought it was worth a try; I’m always looking for more gluten free recipes for clients.  My house mate tries to live a gluten free lifestyle so under the guise that I was being nice to her I set out to make a batch of gluten free mac and cheese.  Truth be told it had also been a rough few days at work so I thought this comfort food would make me feel better and not feel as bad about myself.

I went to the store and this is what I came back with, although no tomatoes were used for this recipe.  I found a nice brown rice elbow pasta.  First thing I did was boil the macaroni per the directions.  For some reason the bag said to rinse it in cold water after it was cooked.  I did, not sure why it said that though.

Then I cut up 1 onion, a yellow pepper, a piece of red pepper that I had left over, garlic and mushrooms.  I put the onion in the pot first and sweat it, then added garlic, peppers and mushrooms.  After that all cooked down I added an 8 oz package of cream cheese.  Then 1/2 cup of fat free milk, 1/2 cup of grated parmesan and 1/2 cup shredded gruyere at the very end.

Once the pasta was cooked I drained it, rinsed it and added it back to it’s pot.  I then added the cheese sauce to it.  I got out a baking dish and sprayed it with pan spray.  I added the macaroni and cheese to it, topped it with another 1/2 cup of grated parmesan.  Then I baked it in the oven at 350 for 30 minutes.

I was surprised how much I liked it.  The only thing I’d do differently is I’d add some parmesan or something green on top of the pan!  It looks a little bland, but the veggies, garlic, and cheese all married together.  I will be making it again.

Ron’s Gluten Free Baked Macaroni and Cheese

1 Onion, sliced

2 Cloves of Garlic, minced

1 Orange Pepper, diced

1/2 Red Pepper, diced

1 cup sliced mushrooms

2 cup fat free milk

16 oz brown rice pasta, Elbows

8 Oz cream cheese

1 Cup Parmesan Cheese 1/2 in mix 1/2 on top

Method

1. Boil pasta per directions.

2. Sweat Onions, add garlic, add peppers and mushrooms.

3.  Add cream cheese to vegetables with milk, once ingredients smooth out add parmesan cheese and gruyere.

4.  Drain pasta put back in pot and then add cream sauce to mixture.  Mix until all pasta is well coated.  Add to baking dish that you’ve sprayed with pan spray.  Bake in 350 oven for 30 minutes.